The 1980 Dallas Cowboys season was their 21st in the league. The team improved to 12-4 following Roger Staubach's retirement after the 1979 season.1980 Dallas Cowboys They qualified for the 1980 NFL postseason as an NFC Wild Card, yet ultimately lost in the Conference Championship game.

Going into the final week of the season, Dallas (11–4) played Philadelphia (12–3) at Texas Stadium. Under that season's NFL tiebreakers, Dallas had to beat the Eagles by 25 points or greater to win the NFC East, entering the NFC postseason as the number two seed while Philadelphia would be a wildcard team. The Eagles win NFC East should the Cowboys lose, tie or win by 24 points or fewer.

Dallas was leading the final regular season game 35–10 in the fourth quarter; however, the Eagles scored 17 unanswered points to pull within 35–27. Dallas had to play an extra week in the Wild Card round and as visitors in the following week road game in Atlanta in the Divisional Round. Dallas lost at Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game.

Offseason

NFL draft

Undrafted free agents

+ 1980 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeMike BrockOffensive LineAlabamaDextor ClinkscaleSafetySouth Carolina StateRoy DeanWide receiverAlabamaAnthony DickersonLinebackerSMUMike GlennOffensive LineUtah StateRichard GrimmettOffensive tackleIllinoisJim HimicOffensive LineWest VirginiaJay HowlettDefensive LineHoly CrossKevin KellyOffensive LineDukeBill LeerOffensive LineColorado StateMike MancusoQuarterbackNebraska–OmahaDon SmerekDefensive endNevadaRoosevelt SmithRunning backMichiganDoug WoodwardQuarterbackPace

Roster

Dallas Cowboys 1980 roster Quarterbacks Glenn Carano Gary Hogeboom Danny White P

Running backs Tony Dorsett James Jones Robert Newhouse Timmy Newsome Preston Pearson Ron Springs

Wide receivers Tony Hill Butch Johnson Drew Pearson

Tight ends Doug Cosbie Billy Joe DuPree Jay Saldi Offensive linemen Jim Cooper T Pat Donovan T John Fitzgerald C Andy Frederick T Kurt Petersen G Tom Rafferty G Herbert Scott G Robert Shaw C

Defensive linemen Larry Bethea DT Larry Cole DT John Dutton DT Ed Jones DE Harvey Martin DE Bruce Thornton DE Randy White DTLinebackers Bob Breunig MLB Guy Brown OLB Anthony Dickerson OLB Mike Hegman OLB Bruce Huther MLB D. D. Lewis OLB Bill Roe OLB

Defensive backs Benny Barnes CB Dextor Clinkscale SS Randy Hughes FS Aaron Mitchell CB Dennis Thurman FS Charlie Waters SS Steve Wilson CB

Special teams Rafael Septién KReserve lists Rich Grimmett T (IR) Wade Manning CB (IR) Don Smerek DE (IR) Norm Wells G (IR)

Rookies in italics 45 active, 4 inactive

Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap 1 at Washington Redskins W 17–3 1–0 RFK Stadium 55,045 Recap 2 September 14 at Denver Broncos L 20–41 1–1 Mile High Stadium 74,919 Recap 3 September 21 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 28–17 2–1 Texas Stadium 62,750 Recap 4 September 28 at Green Bay Packers W 28–7 3–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 54,776 Recap 5 October 5 New York Giants W 24–3 4–1 Texas Stadium 59,126 Recap 6 October 12 San Francisco 49ers W 59–14 5–1 Texas Stadium 63,399 Recap 7 October 19 at Philadelphia Eagles L 10–17 5–2 Veterans Stadium 70,696 Recap 8 October 26 San Diego Chargers W 42–31 6–2 Texas Stadium 60,639 Recap 9 November 2 at St. Louis Cardinals W 27–24 7–2 Busch Memorial Stadium 50,701 Recap 10 November 9 at New York Giants L 35–38 7–3 Giants Stadium 68,343 Recap 11 November 16 St. Louis Cardinals W 31–21 8–3 Texas Stadium 52,567 Recap 12 November 23 Washington Redskins W 14–10 9–3 Texas Stadium 58,809 Recap 13 November 27 Seattle Seahawks W 51–7 10–3 Texas Stadium 57,540 Recap 14 December 7 at Oakland Raiders W 19–13 11–3 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 53,194 Recap 15 at Los Angeles Rams L 14–38 11–4 Anaheim Stadium 65,154 Recap 16 December 21 Philadelphia Eagles W 35–27 12–4 Texas Stadium 62,548 Recap Division opponents are in bold text

Game summaries

Week 1 at Redskins

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Pro-Football-Reference.com

Playoffs

Round Date Opponent Result Game Site Attendance Recap Wild Card December 28, 1980 Los Angeles Rams (5) W 34–13 Texas Stadium 64,533 Recap Divisional January 4, 1981 at Atlanta Falcons (1) W 30–27 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 60,022 Recap NFC Championship January 11, 1981 at Philadelphia Eagles (2) L 7–20 Veterans Stadium 70,696 Recap

Wildcard Round

Divisional Round

Conference Championship

Standings

References